WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

There's an old Spanish saying,

Las Mentiras Tienen Las Padas Cortas.

Translated to English, it means lies have short legs.

In other words, falsehoods and fibs can't get far without being caught. As we'll hear in today's tale, sometimes lies don't just have short legs. They have long tails, too.

I'm Rebecca Shear and welcome to you Circle Round, where story time happens all the time.

Today our story is called Leader of the Birds.

It was inspired by tales from the Maya, and indigenous people from a region including modern-day Guatemala and Belize, plus parts of southern Mexico, Honduras, and

El Salvador. Some really great people came together to bring you our story, including Carolyn

Michelle Smith and Christopher Rivas. Carolyn Michelle Smith has appeared on such TV shows as The Shy,

and Just Like That That and Russian Doll.

Her newest film is Familiar Touch.

Christopher Rivas wrote the picture book, You're a Good Swimmer.

The memoir, Brown Enough, and Hosts the Podcasts Ruby Rosa and Brown Enough.

He also starred in a Circle Round episode from 2022.

We'll reveal which one at the end of the story. So circle around everyone,

for Leader of the Birds.

If you've seen the member of the pheasant family known as the Peacock, then you've seen the member of the pheasant family known as the peacock,

then you know that male peacocks are some of the most beautiful birds in the world.

With iridescent plumage of sapphire blue, emerald green, and shimmering gold,

they can spread their long tail feathers into a big, dramatic fan,

as wide and tall as a twin-sized bed.

...